Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Guide for Beginning Social Work and Human Services Professionals

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Guide for Beginning Social Work and Human Services Professionals is designed to bridge the knowledge gap for undergraduate students entering the helping professions. The book articulates the fundamentals of mental health and substance use, introducing diagnosing methods, levels of care, treatment plans, and case management capabilities. Aimed at bachelor's level education, it adopts a conversational tone supplemented with real-life case studies for practical learning.

Filling a gap in the market for effective educational resources at the undergraduate level, the book integrates both mental health and substance use disorder content in a single volume. It functions as either a core or supplemental text and equips students with key insights for client interactions. Features include hands-on information for new professionals, original case studies, ethical considerations, and exercises to foster a full understanding of the subject matter.

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders is an exemplary textbook for undergraduate courses in social work, human services, community mental health, and substance use. It well prepares students entering the helping professionals and who are likely to interact with clients with mental health or substance use disorders.

A Statement from the Author in Recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month 2025

""There is an increasing need for bachelor-level professionals to work with individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. This book provides foundational information that bachelor-level professionals can use to help them understand the basic skills and knowledge required to work in these fields. The hope is that with this gained knowledge, more professionals will demonstrate a willingness to work with individuals struggling with mental health and substance use so they can improve and have a positive impact on themselves, their families, their communities, and, ultimately, their world.

When I was a senior in my social work undergraduate program, I had the opportunity to complete my internship in an outpatient clinic helping individuals who had been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Although I had developed generalist skills in developing relationships, engaging with clients, and completing assessments, I felt as though I was missing the foundational knowledge of working with individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. Today, as a professor, I am frequently asked to speak in undergraduate courses about the mental health and substance use treatment professions in order to help students wanting to enter these fields gain critical information that is not always provided in their education.

As the mental health and substance use disorder treatment fields have evolved, bachelor-level students are engaging more directly with individuals diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorders. Although bachelor-level students are unable to diagnose and engage in some of the therapeutic interventions required to treat these disorders, they are still providing a wide range of case management services for these individuals.

This book is aimed at filling gaps in undergraduate education by providing bachelor-level professionals with a basic overview of the mental health and substance use disorder treatment fields. It draws on information from experts in these fields, national and international organizations, peer-reviewed articles, and governmental resources aimed at increasing awareness and providing information to those providing support to individuals diagnosed with a mental health or substance use disorder. Special attention was paid throughout the book to emphasize the impact of mental health and substance use disorders on different marginalized groups.

This book consists of 11 chapters covering a wide range of diverse topics. The first chapter provides an overview of mental health and substance use disorders in the United States. This chapter is followed by chapters describing the roles of different professionals working in the mental health and substance use treatment fields, a brief introduction to medications used to treat individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, skills required to work as a case manager, and resources for those working in these fields. The next part of the book presents an overview of assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based interventions related to working with individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. This part is followed by chapters on understanding the complex topics of trauma, special populations, and co-occurring disorders. The last two chapters focus on obtaining long-term recovery and learning to advocate for long-term support, resources, policies, and laws to support individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. Each chapter ends with a review of basic terminology and discussion questions that can be used to stimulate conversation in the classroom.

Sarah Hessenauer, LCSW, Ph.D., is a professor in the Social Work department at Mount Mary University. She has worked as a practitioner and administrator in a variety of mental health and addictions agencies. She is coauthor of Social Work with Groups and Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment.